UK to roll out Astra/Oxford COVID vaccine after world-first approval

Goonie

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sesquiterpene

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Yep, it's less than half the price of other vaccines, and can be stored at normal fridge temps. What's not to like?
Well, it's not as effective as the other two. That's really important, and it's not quite clear just how much poorer it is, as the UK approval process doesn't seem to be as open as the ones here. It looks like a one in five chance of failure for the AstraZeneca one vs one in twenty for either Moderna or Pfizer.
 
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Richard T

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The U.K. has been awesome in some of their covid policies. First, to approve and distribute the pfizer vaccine. First, to approve of the Astra Zeneca/Oxford vaccine. First, to find the more transmissible variant of COVID. I doubt it was in the UK first, but they figured it out before other nations did (Now that others are looking we have found cases in many nations) The UK is also now is making poeple wait for their second dose of the vaccine, so they can get more people some protection in the first round. It is unknown if this is a good strategy, but it seems like a worthwhile attempt to slow covid in more people. It makes me wonder too if those who get more side effects from the second dose would be better off to wait the 10 or 12 weeks that are expected like they are doing in the UK? Covid-19 second-stage vaccinations to be delayed across UK
 
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sesquiterpene

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The UK is also now is making poeple wait for their second dose of the vaccine, so they can get more people some protection in the first round. It is unknown if this is a good strategy,
This is a pretty risky strategy based on very limited data. I hope it works out for them. I don't see the US doing that.
 
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Richard T

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This is a pretty risky strategy based on very limited data. I hope it works out for them. I don't see the US doing that.
You are right, I saw some Dr's opposing this just yesterday. Perhaps they think they can get more doses from the drug companies to give the second shots on time by this tactic? I hope they follow through though, would be good to know if this works for others. It is possible the outcome could be better than the scheduled two shots. If one were fearful of side effects, waiting an extra few weeks for the second dose might be a good idea. I wonder too, if 4 shots spaced out would make less side effects? I know they would not recommend this because they do not have the manpower for this, but I still would like to know.
 
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Goonie

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You are right, I saw some Dr's opposing this just yesterday. Perhaps they think they can get more doses from the drug companies to give the second shots on time by this tactic? I hope they follow through though, would be good to know if this works for others. It is possible the outcome could be better than the scheduled two shots. If one were fearful of side effects, waiting an extra few weeks for the second dose might be a good idea. I wonder too, if 4 shots spaced out would make less side effects? I know they would not recommend this because they do not have the manpower for this, but I still would like to know.
The point is that the faster and wider you can roll out the vaccine, even if delaying the second shot means it might be less effective, it should cut the transmission of the virus and allow us out of this perpetual lockdown cycle.
 
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MyOwnSockPuppet

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Yep, it's less than half the price of other vaccines, and can be stored at normal fridge temps. What's not to like?

Plus it's being sold at-cost for at least the first year, and there are already licencing agreements in place with numerous other countries to make their own - most notably Serum Institute of India (who produce the most doses of vaccines in the world), who've been in the loop on it since June.
 
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sesquiterpene

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The point is that the faster and wider you can roll out the vaccine, even if delaying the second shot means it might be less effective, it should cut the transmission of the virus and allow us out of this perpetual lockdown cycle.
The problem is we don't know whether the vaccines cut the transmission of the virus at all - that wasn't what was measured in the clinical trials. Yes, given the 95% efficacy of the two-dose Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, it's a pretty good bet that it will inhibit transmission to some extent. But with an unknown lower efficacy coming from only one dose - and with the lower starting efficacy of the AstraZenica vaccine - it's a much riskier bet. What good will a vaccine do if you can't reach herd immunity even with 100% uptake?

I think I'm happier with the current approach here. We can identify the very high-risk populations, and fully vaccinate them. Perhaps once we start to vaccinate the general population we can try reaching them faster. Certainly the people going to week-long raves to celebrate the New Year don't deserve the full shots...
 
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Whyayeman

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I'll be getting my vaccine some time this spring, and I will be there like a shot. I am confident that the NHS will act in our best interests, a confidence I don't extend to our hopeless, vacillating government.

It will probably be the Astra/Zeneca-Oxford vaccine and most likely made in UK. I think the effectiveness might rather understated - a British habit - but the protection it does give is a huge improvement on my current state of affairs.

As my great uncle said - 'Can't shi+, can't p1ss, but it still better than the alternative.
 
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RestoreTheJoy

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The problem is we don't know whether the vaccines cut the transmission of the virus at all - that wasn't what was measured in the clinical trials. Yes, given the 95% efficacy of the two-dose Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, it's a pretty good bet that it will inhibit transmission to some extent. But with an unknown lower efficacy coming from only one dose - and with the lower starting efficacy of the AstraZenica vaccine - it's a much riskier bet. What good will a vaccine do if you can't reach herd immunity even with 100% uptake?

I think I'm happier with the current approach here. We can identify the very high-risk populations, and fully vaccinate them. Perhaps once we start to vaccinate the general population we can try reaching them faster. Certainly the people going to week-long raves to celebrate the New Year don't deserve the full shots...
Right. We finally agree on something.

We DO NOT KNOW if the taking the vaccine cuts transmission because it wasn't measured. No one knows. We are being told that it might not do anything for anyone else....but should make you have a less eventful case if you get it. The efficacy was for 14 days anyway, as I recall.

Those going to raves can still be super-spreaders, vaccinated or not (though they mostly aren't yet).

Those hiding out in the basements a la Joe Biden could still be spreaders once they come out, assuming they are fine because they have been vaccinated.

We just don't know anything yet. Yet we are pretending their is "science" guiding every decision.

Standing 10 feet apart in a HUGE airport terminal with soaring ceilings, all wearing masks? Deemed safe.

Crammed in like sardines 1 foot apart in a plane without a square inch around you, rebreathing the plane air, albeit with masks? Also deemed safe or at least important enough financially to continue the practice. What the heck?
 
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sesquiterpene

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Right. We finally agree on something.
Um.. probably not.
We DO NOT KNOW if the taking the vaccine cuts transmission because it wasn't measured.
As I've said repeatedly, the smart money is that a vaccine with 95% efficacy is going to limit transmission. It's rather hard to see how it wouldn't do this, as it is clearly reducing viral loads. What I was suggesting that using only one dose will reduce the vaccines effectiveness in this regard.
The efficacy was for 14 days anyway, as I recall.
No, it wasn't. Why don't you learn something about the vaccines you are criticizing? This information is publicly available - I've already provided you the links three times.

Those hiding out in the basements a la Joe Biden could still be spreaders once they come out, assuming they are fine because they have been vaccinated.
The idea that people who have been vaccinated will become superspreaders is an antivaxx fantasy, unsupported by any actual evidence. The effects of the two vaccines currently available in the US have been demonstrated to be overwhelmingly beneficial.
We just don't know anything yet.
You don't seem to know much, but there is a wealth of data produced by very large clinical trials of these vaccines. Why don't you take the effort to learn about these results?
 
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Whyayeman

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I When I come across words like 'could', 'might' and the like in posts I hear an alarm bell in my head warning me that what follows could be baseless speculation. So often that is what follows. When there is no evidence any speculation can gain traction with the credulous.

This is why such words appear in quack remedies: 'Rub Bogiecreme Lotion on your bald bits.Seven out of eleven experts in white coats have said that it could cure your baldness.'

OK, not good copy, but I am not really in advertising - and I'm no good at speculating about unsubstantiated claims about vaccines.
 
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sesquiterpene

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China approved its Sinopharm vaccine.

China OKs 1st homegrown vaccine as COVID-19 surges globally

Russia's Sputnik-V has also been approved:

Bloomberg - Are you a robot?
India has approved it's homegrown vaccine, Covaxin, as well as the AstraZenica/Oxford vaccine (called Covishield in India). Covaxin appears to be an inactivated whole virus. Details of the clinical trials have apparently not been made public, which has led to criticism.
Coronavirus: India approves vaccines by Serum Institute, Bharat Biotech for restricted emergency use
and
Govt must explain why international protocols were disregarded to approve Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin, Congress leaders say | India News - Times of India
 
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Andrewn

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India has approved it's homegrown vaccine, Covaxin, as well as the AstraZenica/Oxford vaccine (called Covishield in India). Covaxin appears to be an inactivated whole virus. Details of the clinical trials have apparently not been made public, which has led to criticism.
China's Sinopharm and Sinovac are also inactivated whole virus, which is the standard / old technology for most vaccines.

Russia's Sputnik-V is comparable to AstraZenica's.

Moderna's and Pfizer's are both mRNA.

Will be interesting to see how these technologies compare side by side.
 
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